diff --git a/pkg/action/install.go b/pkg/action/install.go
index 6fc919366..48b0d8bf8 100644
--- a/pkg/action/install.go
+++ b/pkg/action/install.go
@@ -221,10 +221,21 @@ func (i *Install) installCRDs(crds []chart.CRD) error {
 	if len(totalItems) > 0 {
 		var waiter kube.Waiter
 		var err error
+		// CRD establishment must always be awaited, regardless of the wait
+		// strategy configured for the release. HookOnlyStrategy's Wait is a
+		// no-op by design so that it can skip waiting for general chart
+		// resources, but skipping it here too lets Helm start creating
+		// custom resources before their CRDs are recognized by the API
+		// server. Use StatusWatcherStrategy for this check instead so CRDs
+		// are still waited for, matching Helm 3's unconditional behavior.
+		crdWaitStrategy := i.WaitStrategy
+		if crdWaitStrategy == kube.HookOnlyStrategy {
+			crdWaitStrategy = kube.StatusWatcherStrategy
+		}
 		if c, supportsOptions := i.cfg.KubeClient.(kube.InterfaceWaitOptions); supportsOptions {
-			waiter, err = c.GetWaiterWithOptions(i.WaitStrategy, i.WaitOptions...)
+			waiter, err = c.GetWaiterWithOptions(crdWaitStrategy, i.WaitOptions...)
 		} else {
-			waiter, err = i.cfg.KubeClient.GetWaiter(i.WaitStrategy)
+			waiter, err = i.cfg.KubeClient.GetWaiter(crdWaitStrategy)
 		}
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("unable to get waiter: %w", err)
diff --git a/pkg/action/install_test.go b/pkg/action/install_test.go
index 2d83abe27..f323d047e 100644
--- a/pkg/action/install_test.go
+++ b/pkg/action/install_test.go
@@ -1182,6 +1182,28 @@ func TestInstallCRDs_WaiterError(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Error(t, instAction.installCRDs(crdsToInstall), "wait error")
 }
 
+// TestInstallCRDs_HookOnlyStrategyStillWaitsForEstablishment guards against
+// https://github.com/helm/helm/issues/32671: HookOnlyStrategy's waiter does not
+// wait on general resources, so installCRDs() must request a
+// StatusWatcherStrategy waiter for CRD establishment instead.
+func TestInstallCRDs_HookOnlyStrategyStillWaitsForEstablishment(t *testing.T) {
+	config := actionConfigFixture(t)
+	failingKubeClient := kubefake.FailingKubeClient{PrintingKubeClient: kubefake.PrintingKubeClient{Out: io.Discard}, BuildDummy: true}
+	config.KubeClient = &failingKubeClient
+	instAction := NewInstall(config)
+	instAction.WaitStrategy = kube.HookOnlyStrategy
+
+	mockFile := common.File{
+		Name: "crds/foo.yaml",
+		Data: []byte("hello"),
+	}
+	mockChart := buildChart(withFile(mockFile))
+	crdsToInstall := mockChart.CRDObjects()
+
+	require.NoError(t, instAction.installCRDs(crdsToInstall))
+	assert.Equal(t, []kube.WaitStrategy{kube.StatusWatcherStrategy}, failingKubeClient.RecordedWaitStrategies)
+}
+
 func TestCheckDependencies(t *testing.T) {
 	dependency := chart.Dependency{Name: "hello"}
 	mockChart := buildChart(withDependency())
diff --git a/pkg/kube/fake/failing_kube_client.go b/pkg/kube/fake/failing_kube_client.go
index 75d0c8de1..51fab26af 100644
--- a/pkg/kube/fake/failing_kube_client.go
+++ b/pkg/kube/fake/failing_kube_client.go
@@ -50,7 +50,9 @@ type FailingKubeClient struct {
 	WaitDuration           time.Duration
 	// RecordedWaitOptions stores the WaitOptions passed to GetWaiter for testing
 	RecordedWaitOptions []kube.WaitOption
-	mu                  sync.Mutex
+	// RecordedWaitStrategies stores the WaitStrategy passed to each GetWaiter call for testing
+	RecordedWaitStrategies []kube.WaitStrategy
+	mu                     sync.Mutex
 }
 
 var _ kube.Interface = &FailingKubeClient{}
@@ -160,14 +162,15 @@ func (f *FailingKubeClient) GetWaiter(ws kube.WaitStrategy) (kube.Waiter, error)
 	return f.GetWaiterWithOptions(ws)
 }
 
-func (f *FailingKubeClient) appendRecordedWaitOptionsLocked(opts ...kube.WaitOption) {
+func (f *FailingKubeClient) recordGetWaiterCallLocked(ws kube.WaitStrategy, opts ...kube.WaitOption) {
 	f.mu.Lock()
 	defer f.mu.Unlock()
+	f.RecordedWaitStrategies = append(f.RecordedWaitStrategies, ws)
 	f.RecordedWaitOptions = append(f.RecordedWaitOptions, opts...)
 }
 
 func (f *FailingKubeClient) GetWaiterWithOptions(ws kube.WaitStrategy, opts ...kube.WaitOption) (kube.Waiter, error) {
-	f.appendRecordedWaitOptionsLocked(opts...)
+	f.recordGetWaiterCallLocked(ws, opts...)
 	waiter, _ := f.PrintingKubeClient.GetWaiterWithOptions(ws, opts...)
 	printingKubeWaiter, _ := waiter.(*PrintingKubeWaiter)
 	return &FailingKubeWaiter{